2008/11/24 City Airport UpdateNovember 20, 2008
REPORT TO:
FROM:
SUBJECT:
MEETING DATE:
City of Kalispell
Fred A. Leistiko, Airport Manager
201 First Avenue Fast, Kalispell, Montana 59901
Post Office Box 1997 - Kalispell, Montana 59903-1997
Telephone (406) 250-3065
Fax - (406) 758-7758
The Honorable Mayor Pamela B. Kennedy and City
Council
Fred A. Leistiko, City Airport Manager
Myrt Webb, Interim City Manager
Status Report on mitigation of KGEZ radio towers
November 24, 2008 Council Work Session
BACKGROUND: The FAA has stated that the City of Kalispell must
take the necessary action to remove the KGEZ radio
towers from FAR Part 77 protected airspace. This
FAA directive was given to the City of Kalispell in
2005 when the City Airport became eligible for
Federal funding. The owner of KGEZ radio has
continued to seek an exorbitant price to purchase the
radio station. An alternate action plan was put into
place by the City Airport Manager in May of this
year. The City has acquired an option on 20 acres of
land in an area identified by the Broadcast Engineers
as being suitable for relocation of the KGEZ towers.
The adjacent three landowners have been contacted to
acquire the necessary easements to bury the radials
associated with the two towers. Two of the
landowners have given tentative approval and the
third landowner is reviewing the proposal.
RECOMMENDATION: Upon the acquisition of the necessary options for the
land use, the City Manager and the Airport Manager
will contact the owner of KGEZ and make the offer to
construct new towers on the new location in exchange
for the removal of the current towers from protected
airspace. If the owner refuses to cooperate, the City
will take the necessary legal action to condemn the
towers and substitute the new towers. This action
will be at no cost to the owner of KGEZ radio.
FISCAL IMPACT: The cost of this project is estimated to be $500,000. If
the necessary steps are followed, the FAA has
indicated that they would participate in the funding.
Their extent of participation will depend on the
process the City of Kalispell undertakes.
ALTERNATIVES:
Respectfully submitted,
Fred A. Leistiko
City Airport Manager
As suggested by Council
Myrt Webb
Interim City Manager
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